Aphrael
by Forever Dark
Summary: When Queen Danae falls ill and Aphrael's leaving to her world, what'll happen when a Younger God wants blood of an unborn child?
1. The Queen's Champion

Danae closed her large dark eyes, and kept her sigh in check that barely left her soft pink  
  
bow-like lips when Sparhawk, her beloved father, placed the crown of Elenia upon her head.  
  
Her long lustrous black hair hung in tight waves that she had gotten done by braiding her hair  
  
tightly last night. Her marble white skin flushed when all of Cimmura cheered for their new  
  
Queen. Ehlana, Danae's mother, quickly wiped a tear away with a kerchief that nearly left her  
  
eye, and smiled at her husband, Sparhawk.  
  
Danae held her head high, as she wore her new state cloths. The red velvet fabric tickled her  
  
flesh underneath, and the large ruby cloak was heavy, but she was the Queen, and she was  
  
really the Child-Goddess Aphrael of the Styric people. Although most of the world despised the  
  
Styric people, they had not seen her features and discovered that she was a Styric herself. No  
  
one had called her Aphrael for a long while, except Sephrenia, her older sister who was not a  
  
goddess.  
  
Ehlana had become a barren, so, to save the Queen trouble for finding an heir, she had  
  
entered the queen's womb--- not to mention that she cared for Sparhawk and had known that  
  
he wanted to be a father. So she spared them the sadness. But of course, Sparhawk had to  
  
ruin her disguise, and had discovered who she really was. Only Sephrenia and Sparhawk new.  
  
Danae smiled at her people in her throne room, and sat upon her throne, and looked to her  
  
side at the new Pandion Knight who stood like a statue of splendor.  
  
Talen, young and handsome, was now twenty-five year's old, and was now the Queen's  
  
Champion which had been fought for because it was against his wishes, but had it not been for  
  
lovely Danae's fluttering eyelashes, he would have disagreed. Insisted by his Queen, Talen  
  
wore all white, with his mail shirt underneath, of course, and a black shawl on his shoulders,  
  
hiding his deadly sword, which was also embroidered with gold, as were the cuffs, and collar.  
  
Pandion Knight or not, he was quiet embarrassed.  
  
Danae heard all the good wishes her subjects prayed for her, and all the customary bows and  
  
love, but she couldn't wait to get to her new enlarged room. Glancing at her barren mother,  
  
she smiled, and melted her mother's heart, as she always did.  
  
Ehlana's pale golden hair was tied back and set upon her head with pearls among the braided  
  
strands, and the exquisite gray gown she wore matched her eyes. Sparhawk, wearing much  
  
the same as Talen, stood by her side, and as Danae noticed, he looked old.  
  
A sudden sadness filled her heart, threatening to drown her.  
  
She was an immortal, and her own parents were mere mortals who were old already.  
  
Sparhawk frowned at her, questioning with his dark eyes.  
  
As though he had spoken aloud, she heard his concern, "What is it, Danae?"  
  
Giving him a smile, she slightly shook her head, and looked back at the people talking to her.  
  
It seemed to be hours later when they let her go to 'rest'. When all left the throne room,  
  
Danae took her crown off and sighed as her father led the retired queen out of the large  
  
golden doors with her arm around his.  
  
Kalten and all the others followed the broken-nosed knight out, and no one was left.  
  
With a sigh, near to tears, Danae leaned back and closed her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong, uh, Queen Danae?"  
  
Her eyes flashed open and she saw Talen looking down at her. She held out her hand, and  
  
when he took it, helping her up to her feet, she looked into his brown eyes and scolded, "Call  
  
me by name, Talen. No saying the Majesty crap. I'm sick of it!" she stated.  
  
He threw his head back and laughed, "It's only your first day as Queen and you already  
  
despise it?"  
  
Briskly, she stepped down the dais, and said over her shoulder, "Well?"  
  
"Well what?"  
  
Open mouthed, she turned to him, "You're my Champion, and you're not going to escort me  
  
out of my own throne room?"  
  
"Oh," he simply said, hurrying to her side to take her hand.  
  
Looking him in the eye once again, she said, "You don't mind being my Champion do you?"  
  
Not knowing why, he blushed under her intense gaze and shook his head, "I don't mind,  
  
Danae. You're like a sis---"  
  
"Don't you DARE say that word." She cut in icily.  
  
Before he could say anything else, the throne room opened and Sephrenia entered, "Do you  
  
wish to walk a little slower, Danae?"  
  
Talen noted Danae blush, "Sure, if you want me to." The Queen replied.  
  
Sephrenia shook her head, her blue eyes flashing.  
  
"I'm coming!" Danae laughed, hurrying to the sorceress's side, all the while not letting Talen  
  
go.  
  
When she came to her room, she turned to Talen as Sephrenia entered the Queen's rooms,  
  
"Thank you Talen." She said. Turning around, she left into her room without a backward  
  
glance.  
  
Talen turned on his heels and then left down the corridor.  
  
On his way down the hall he saw Kalten wandering around the halls with his large trunk like  
  
arms around Naween's tanned shoulders. Her dark hair was open, hanging a little past her  
  
shoulders as she nervously fixed her fancy dark blue gown. Her swollen belly and Kalten's  
  
smiling gaze at her spoke clearly that she carried his child.  
  
Modestly, Talen smiled.  
  
He was the one who had introduced the whore to Kalten. But now since she was with child,  
  
Kalten never let her out of his sight. Even though they weren't married, which was frowned  
  
upon, Naween listened to the large blond man without question, but that gown the knight had  
  
insisted she wear to the throne room made Naween quite uncomfortable.  
  
Right behind was handsome Berit, wearing full armor charmingly with his wife-to-be, Vamiya,  
  
a charming young daughter of a trusted ambassador of the Holy City. Her red hair was long  
  
and reached her bottom, and her pale gray gown that had no sleeves, but a tissue shawl, was  
  
tight around her youthful body that left Berit ogling after her, and not to mention her pale  
  
snowy-gray eyes that deepened the redness of her straight hair. She was quite shorter than  
  
Berit, but that didn't seem to bother them.  
  
When they all saw Talen, they cleared their throats and smiled at the young man.  
  
Talen passed them with a nod, and sighed when he was past them, and rolled his eyes. They  
  
still thought of him as a young boy who was still stealing away in the Pandion chapterhouse.  
  
He walked on until he found Sparhawk.  
  
"And what are you doing here Talen?" He asked, eyebrow rose.  
  
"D-Queen Danae went into her room." Talen replied. For an odd reason, he couldn't lie to this  
  
retired knight; maybe it was because his mothers would kill him if he did. But he also thought  
  
of Sparhawk as a kind of father.  
  
That thought, of course, the young man kept to himself.  
  
"Really?" Sparhawk replied, seeming surprised, "And that would mean she dismissed you?"  
  
"I'm not her slave, Sparhawk." He countered defensively.  
  
"You are now. Being the Queen's Champion is pretty much a slave with a sword. Now get back  
  
to guard her room."  
  
Talen growled, spun on his heels, and stormed off.  
  
When he reached her rooms, he waited.  
  
For hours probably, he wasn't sure. But when Sephrenia came out, he was nearly sleeping  
  
standing up. Surprised, she turned to the Queen within the room, "You're Champion's been  
  
standing out here for hours, dear."  
  
Danae's voice came then, "You may dismiss him, Sephrenia."  
  
He nearly stumbled away before the Styric women could utter a word.  
  
This treatment went on for about a week until he nearly wanted to shake Danae's shoulders in  
  
anger. But at the last day, he was pretty sure she saw it on his face.  
  
"Oh Talen!" She cried, smiling, "You've been waiting all this time?" Leaning forward, she  
  
planted a soft kiss on his cheek, "You're such a dear." She murmured, fluttering her eyes.  
  
And, of course, when he blushed, he noted a servant smiling and walking off.  
  
"Great." He said dismissively.  
  
"What's great?" Danae asked, glancing at the servant who avoided looking at them.  
  
Shaking his head, he replied, "Now all of Cimmura is going to know of this."  
  
"Know of what?"  
  
Looking her in the eye, he tried to see if she was joking.  
  
But she was pretty damn serious.  
  
"The kiss?" She asked when he said nothing.  
  
Merely nodding, he tried to leave.  
  
But catching his arm, she drew him close again, and rose of her toes from her soft slippers  
  
and leaned close to him, "Just a kiss on the cheek, Talen?" She said, "Is that all you're afraid  
  
they'll talk about?"  
  
Nervously, he cleared his throat.  
  
Giving him a naughty look, she gave him a simple peck upon his lips, and leaned back a little,  
  
but he still felt her hot breath against his face, and their noses nearly touching. She  
  
looked down at his lips and smiled when she looked into his eyes again.  
  
Suddenly, he craved for her, and afraid, he licked his lips.  
  
Again, she kissed him on the lips, but this time it was lingering.  
  
Then she backed down on her feet, then turning to her room, and opening it, she looked  
  
back at him, "Good night Talen."  
  
Unable to say anything, he simply stared at her as she shut the door behind her. 


	2. Forsaken

Sparhawk glanced up from where he sat in the council table when the new Queen entered  
  
and an eyebrow rose. Ehlana was still young, about thirty-six years old, but she just  
  
wanted to be head of council. Danae didn't have to come.  
  
Talen shrugged when the retired knight looked at him.  
  
"I just wanted to know what was going on." Danae said, smiling sheepishly at her  
  
mother.  
  
Sitting down by her parents, she looked at her father to speak.  
  
"Well, something is going on outside of the borders of Elenia. Tamuli is in turmoil again,  
  
and there is civil war breaking out there, and we have absolutely no idea what is going  
  
on. Hopefully we'll be able to know what is happening by next week." Sparhawk  
  
frowned, "Only if God can bring the news to us sooner." And looked at Aphrael, his  
  
daughter, pointedly. "Anyways, the Arcium border was recently attacked by Zemoch  
  
people, but we don't have much knowledge on that either. And that is about all there is, I  
  
believe."  
  
"And that some people in the east of Elenia are protesting about the raising taxes." Added  
  
a fat man from one of the seats.  
  
Danae rolled her eyes, "Again?" she murmured. Rising, she nodded to them all, "Well,  
  
that is all I needed to know and I appreciate you all informing me, but if you'll excuse  
  
me, I'll be leaving. I have to do something about those taxes again it seems."  
  
Then with Talen, he escorted her out.  
  
"Where too?" He asked.  
  
"To my rooms. I think I'll get drunk and pass out." She laughed.  
  
"This isn't funny, Danae!" He replied, shocked, "This is all pretty serious stuff."  
  
Rolling her eyes, she said, "I'm not a Goddess that can't deal with it later."  
  
Frowning at her, he stated, "I think you're already drunk."  
  
Raising an eyebrow, she stated, "We'll see about that, Talen."  
  
When they reached her rooms, Talen opened the door for her, and when she went in, he  
  
began to shut it but she demanded he come in. So he did. Inside of her sitting room, there  
  
was a wine pitcher, which, unwillingly, Talen gave to his Queen. When he had finished  
  
one cup of wine, she was halfway finished her second one. It was a few moments later  
  
when she coughed in disgust of the wine, but finished her cup anyway.  
  
Standing up, she took off her cape and went to her bedroom.  
  
After a moment, she called, "Talen!"  
  
Walking calmly to her room, he nearly stumbled in surprise when she nearly bumped into  
  
him when she was heading out the door. Before he could back away, she circled her arms  
  
around his neck and held him close. But Talen, all noble now because of his step  
  
brothers, his step mother, and not to mention Yabathi, the new Styric teacher at the  
  
chapterhouse, and, of course, the molding of his behavior from Berit.  
  
"Are you okay Danae?" He asked gently.  
  
Letting go of him, she hugged herself, and sighed, looking down.  
  
Talen, all concerned, hugged her shoulders and pulled her a little close, "What is it  
  
Danae?"  
  
How could she tell him that the other Gods weren't helping her in finding out what was  
  
going on in Tamuli, Arcium, and all the other places? How was she to tell him that she  
  
had waited to be a woman since she had laid eyes upon him? Were these mortal feelings  
  
she was getting? Or..... What was it that she felt for him?  
  
Talen suddenly tilted her chin up and softly pressed his lips against hers.  
  
When he began to pull away, she caught his lower lip in between her pearl white teeth,  
  
then, softly and unmercifully, she sucked on it until he crushed her lips with his with a  
  
moan. With his own teeth, he parted her lips, and when they opened, he slid his tongue  
  
within her mouth. Tightly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, locking her hands in  
  
his hair as she messaged his exploring tongue with her own. Feverishly, he grabbed her  
  
hips and thrust them to his.  
  
Breathless, they pulled away, but the wild look in Talen's brown eyes made her eyes  
  
widen and a sly smile came to her lips. He leaned towards her once again, but suddenly  
  
someone knocked on the main door, and slowly, Danae went past him to open the door. It  
  
was her mother. Ehlana smiled at her daughter, "Are you alright?" She asked her  
  
daughter, frowning and touching Danae's forehead.  
  
"I-I'm fine mother. Why, do I look sick?"  
  
"You're so flushed." Ehlana murmured as she walked in the door to see Talen standing  
  
like the guard he was, staring out the window with his hands behind himself, and her  
  
eyebrow rose.  
  
"Oh," Danae, seeing her mother's expression, cleared her throat and said, "I-I guess I'm  
  
flushed because Talen and I had a little wine because I insisted, uh, mother."  
  
Ehlana nodded at her daughter, but Danae noted that she didn't believe her story.  
  
Looking over his shoulder, Talen saw Ehlana looking at Danae, cleared his throat and  
  
when she looked at him, he smiled at the former Queen and greeted her, and asked about  
  
her health.  
  
Ehlana answered the questions, then asked if he wouldn't mind if he stepped out the room  
  
so she could speak with her daughter. Leaving the room, he silently shut the door.  
  
Later that night, as Danae stood staring out the window, she called upon her Godly  
  
powers and just calling upon them, she felt her heart race as she seemed to swoon in the  
  
immortal peace she received from it. Closing her large eyes, she said in the Styric  
  
language of the Gods, "Please, show me the future of this mortal life I am leading until I  
  
am expected to die."  
  
A sudden wave of feelings overwhelmed her, but when she opened her eyes, she saw  
  
herself sitting on the throne alone, with a young man standing next to her. The young  
  
man was not Talen, but the feeling she got from him was love for her. But the feeling she  
  
got from herself was of sadness and wavering love only. And she saw chains on her  
  
hands, as though she were a slave, and her throne had been mutated into that of a python.  
  
Shivering as the vision passed, she closed her eyes, and then opened them once again.  
  
"What is going on in the other countries?" She murmured.  
  
A vision of sudden bloodshed, pain, and anger filled her. The Zemoches were busy  
  
slaughtering the people of Tamuli again, but it was out of their own anger, and Arcium, it  
  
was not the Zemoches that had attacked their border, it was Sync, one of the Younger  
  
Gods of Styric, also known as the Snake God, he was leading armies against the Arcium  
  
God, and his intentions weren't just to stop there.  
  
Sighing, she released the power, and, still in her sapphire heavy gown, she left her room  
  
and headed towards her father's room with Talen close at her heels from where he had  
  
been waiting outside of her room, again. Before she could knock the door, Sephrenia  
  
opened the door to Sparhawk's room grandly. With a raised eyebrow from Danae,  
  
Sephrenia simply said, "I heard you coming."  
  
Once inside the room, Danae took her father aside and told him everything about both  
  
visions she had witnessed. Gravely, Sparhawk nodded. "What about this God? Are the  
  
other Younger Gods doing anything about it?"  
  
Quietly, she shrugged, "I don't know," she sullenly replied, "They wont speak with me."  
  
"Why not?" He asked, concerned.  
  
Shaking her head, she said, "They have forsaken me." Then she turned to Sephrenia; "I  
  
want to go to bed now."  
  
Sephrenia took the seventeen-year-olds arm and led her out of the room.  
  
Talen went to follow, but Sparhawk stopped him, as he scribbled something on a sheet of  
  
paper, "Hold on Talen." Then, folding the paper, he handed it to the young man, "Give  
  
this to your brother Khalad. Now hurry."  
  
Taking the note, he growled, "I'm not a page any longer, Sparhawk. I'm a knight."  
  
Sarcastically, the retired knight replied, "Are you serious? I didn't know that." Then  
  
seriously, he said, "Hurry on boy."  
  
Storming out of the room and palace, he mounted Howda, his warhorse, and galloped out  
  
of the palace grounds. Even in the streets, he galloped, merely moving his stallion out of  
  
the way of women and children, but the men had to jump out of his way. Howda jumped  
  
over barrels on the side of the street or other junk in his way, grunting in pleasure of the  
  
surprised cries.  
  
When two knights came forward to do the ritual before he could enter, they saw the  
  
thunder of anger upon his face before he put his visor down hard. When he entered, he  
  
heard one of the knights murmuring to the other, "He has the temper of Sir Sparhawk  
  
now."  
  
Even more angered, he went to Khalad's room. Now that Khalad was the head of this  
  
chapterhouse, no one messed with him, except Talen who would get yelled at by his  
  
mothers later on. The two middle aged knights standing guard at the door greeted him,  
  
but he just grunted, "Is he in there?" He asked.  
  
As one said yes, the other politely opened the door and called to Khalad, "Sir Talen has  
  
come to meet you."  
  
"Finally!" Khalad cried from within.  
  
As the guards opened the door for the young man, Talen dangerously whispered,  
  
"Finally?" And walked in. The knights quickly shut the door behind him, after seeing his  
  
expression.  
  
Khalad, at the sight of his stepbrother, laughed, "You look like Sparhawk!"  
  
The neatly folded paper in his hand was then crunched up and tossed at Khalad, aiming  
  
for his head. Khalad dodged it calmly. With a straight face, he seated himself calmly  
  
again, then burst out laughing, and tears in his dark eyes.  
  
"Have your pathetic note!" Talen growled, "I'm leaving."  
  
Khalad cleared his throat, "Talen," He called, "Talen!" he yelled when the young man  
  
didn't stop.  
  
Looking over his shoulder, he asked, "What's your problem?"  
  
"Mirtai's coming back from her vacation from the Pelosian people. So you wont have to  
  
stick around Danae as much. Oh, and when she comes back, come here and report to me,  
  
will you little brother?"  
  
"Whatever." Talen replied, his eyes hardening. "Do you have anything else to say to me?"  
  
Khalad grew serious, making Talen frown, as he quickly read the crumpled note, "How  
  
does he know this stuff so soon?" He murmured to himself. Turning to his brother, and  
  
standing up, he tossed the note in the fireplace where it quickly caught in flames, "Talen,  
  
there will be war soon. Very soon. So guard the Queen with all your life."  
  
Without a word, Talen left then hurried back to the palace. 


	3. Choice to Sacrifice

Aphrael smiled down at Talen from her window.  
  
Sitting upon his mighty horse, he was galloping back into the palace grounds, and his cloak  
  
wiped out behind him like shadows riding at his broad shoulders.  
  
Although her smile was there, her dark eyes watered, and she closed her eyes, and a single  
  
tear slid out and rolled down her marble white cheek. Her hair was in one braid, and a black  
  
cloak hid her dark brown dress. With one hand she drew the hood up, and glanced at her bed.  
  
Laying upon the bed was Danae.  
  
She was paler then normal, and her bow-like lips were pursed, and had no blood in them.  
  
Sephrenia stood looking at Aphrael, her eyes wide. "Must you leave?" She whispered.  
  
"I have to go and see what Sync is doing. If I don't, he'll come here. I can't allow that, you  
  
know that, Sephrenia." Aphrael took a deep breath.  
  
"What about Danae?" Sephrenia, "You'll just leave her sick in bed?"  
  
"Yes. I've done it before, don't worry. Ehlana will take the throne-- just for a few weeks. I  
  
need all my attention on Sync. He IS a God, just like me." Again, she sighed. Then, she said,  
  
"Sephrenia, I really like Talen, can you see to it that he falls in love with someone good, or  
  
someone who will care for him, and wont lie to him like me." She corrected herself.  
  
Frowning, the Styric woman sat down on the bed softly, and gently stroked Danae's forehead  
  
full of perspiration. "Vanion will be back from the Holy City soon. When he is here, I will come  
  
after you."  
  
Aphrael tore her eyes away from hers. "Right." She softly murmured.  
  
"What is it, Aphrael?" Sephrenia asked suddenly.  
  
But the Goddess's eyes were on the dismounting Talen, and shrugged. "I'm doing something  
  
that will leave me nothing. I am going to meet the other Younger Gods, and we'll see from  
  
there. We have to stop Sync, and there will be sacrifices. I'm not even sure that I will be  
  
coming back Sephrenia." Turning to the sorceress, Aphrael said, "That's why I want Talen to  
  
love someone that'll treat him right. You will do that, wont you, sister?"  
  
"O-of course Aphrael."  
  
Nodding, the Child-Goddess looked up at the sky, and said, "I better get going now. Good-  
  
bye."  
  
Not giving the sorceress anytime to say it back, Aphrael vanished.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Sephrenia gazed past Sparhawk, and saw Talen.  
  
He stood pale and looked like a frightened child as he looked down at his beloved Danae.  
  
Ehlana was crying at Sparhawk's shoulder, but neither Sparhawk, nor Sephrenia cried, or  
  
showed any emotion to the Queen, laying like a corpse on the bed. Walking past Sparhawk  
  
and his wife, the Styric woman went to Talen, and gazed into his vacant eyes. "Go to the  
  
chapterhouse, Talen. Stay with your brother, okay? Now hurry, there's nothing anyone can do  
  
here. We need doctors, and they're on their way."  
  
Without a word, Talen turned on his heels, and calmly walked out of the room. A few moments  
  
later, Sephrenia followed, to leave the crying Ehlana and Sparhawk alone.  
  
When she stepped out, she saw Berit looking after Talen who was way down the hall; his long  
  
legs carrying him away fast. Turning his brown eyes to Sephrenia, Berit asked, "How's  
  
Danae?"  
  
"Not well," She replied, "but don't let the word spread yet, Ehlana will do that."  
  
Gravely, Berit nodded.  
  
Thoughtfully, Sephrenia looked after Talen, then sighed silently, then turned, and went the  
  
opposite way of Talen, lost in her thoughts. She went to the chapterhouse later that day and  
  
talked to Khalad.  
  
Then she went to the knights' practice fields, and there she saw Talen, fighting fiercely with  
  
another trained knight. There was no expression on his face, but his blows were hard and fast  
  
to release the hidden fear for his Queen, and the anger of not knowing what was wrong with  
  
her.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Soft music of nature surrounded the Child-Goddess as she walked calmly in her realm,  
  
wearing a strapless flowing gown that left her arms bare. Her dark hair hung open and  
  
cascaded down her shoulder-blades like ribbons of shining silk, and little white flowers clung to  
  
her hair strands, with the same flowers twisted into a ring which sat upon her head. Her  
  
womanly body made her realm--home--sings in awe. As a child, she was beautiful, but now,  
  
as a growing woman at the age of seventeen, she was gorgeous.  
  
As her bare feet hit the soft grass under her feet, and her long gown dragged, there sprouted  
  
flowers of all colors, leaving a trail of where she went.  
  
As she walked in her immortal world, her large eyes never left the other Gods that looked at  
  
her in surprise and awe. "A woman?" They murmured in surprise, "She's no longer a child....  
  
and she's beautiful as well, even after living in the mortal world!"  
  
They greeted her, then, the oldest of the Younger Gods, Lauranath, stepped out of the group  
  
of immortals, and approached the Goddess, the youngest of them all. "Aphrael," She  
  
murmured her greeting, and smiled, "you've grown."  
  
Aphrael nodded, smiling.  
  
The Younger Gods behind Lauranath sighed at their youngest comrade, but Lauranath's pale  
  
gray eyes hardened, "You left us," She said quietly, "for MORTALS?"  
  
Aphrael straightened her back, her own eyes hardening.  
  
"You've disgraced us, Aphrael."  
  
"I'm not the only one who's done a thing like this, Lauranath." Aphrael replied, "As I recall,  
  
you did it."  
  
Lauranath's eyes blazed.  
  
She was like an Elder God now, and wanted power for herself.  
  
"It's true." Came a musical voice from behind their eldest.  
  
Aphrael's eyes flashed over Lauranath's shoulder, and saw Alasarthial, a fellow Goddess.  
  
"We've all tried it, Lauranath." Alasarthial, like her name, was surely the Beauty of Life. Her  
  
natural tanned skin (from a mortal woman who had given birth to her, and had passed her  
  
skin color to the Goddess) shined under the eternal sun of the immortals, and her long black  
  
hair swayed at her hips like a black river that glittered like diamonds when the sun hit it, and  
  
her sapphire eyes looked into Aphrael's warmly, and her rose-bud-like lips curved into a slight  
  
smile. "Forgive Aphrael, we all have already." Alasarthial spread her arms to indicate every  
  
other God.  
  
"She left us for thirty mortal year's, Alasarthial, not to mention she's been born twice in that  
  
time."  
  
Lauranath tossed her dark brown hair away from her face, and her eyebrow rose,  
  
"Remember?"  
  
Alasarthial shook her head, "Who cares?"  
  
"I DO!" Lauranath spun to meet Alasarthial's eyes, "She missed El'Thinor! The day we ALL  
  
came to live!  
  
If she were still a Goddess at heart, she would've come, but what was she doing that day? She  
  
was combing her mortal mother's hair!"  
  
Alasarthial couldn't say anything after that.  
  
"If she wants my forgiveness, she will not return to the mortal world after Sync is settled by  
  
our power." Then, at her words, everyone turned to the Child-Goddess, "Well?" Lauranath  
  
said, "What'll it be? Will you go back to the mortal world? Or will you be forever alone after  
  
your mortal friends are dead, and be forever forsaken by us?"  
  
Aphrael's heart thumped in her chest, and her mind drifted to Talen, as she answered softly.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Danae looked into Talen's eyes, tears in her eyes as she embraced him tightly  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked, "I was so afraid for you. Please don't do that to me again." He  
  
kissed her on the neck and buried his face in her hair and closed his eyes tightly, and took in  
  
her scent.  
  
Her shoulders shook as she wept into his arms, "Oh Talen," she murmured, "I love you. I've  
  
never loved anyone like I have loved you. No one has kissed me until you have, and I will  
  
keep it that way, I promise you.... I promise."  
  
Talen pulled away from his beloved and looked in her eyes, "No Danae," He whispered, "you're  
  
not leaving me are you?"  
  
She just looked into his eyes in sorrow.  
  
The pain and loss in his chest burned him, but he wiped her tears away, and softly kissed her  
  
lips and closed his eyes. Danae's wept silently as she softly returned the kiss. The wind blew in  
  
sorrow in her realm, where they both stood, and the earth trembled at her pain.  
  
"Will you stay with me for a while Talen?" She asked him against his lips.  
  
He embraced her tightly and sank his head down to the curve of her neck and shoulder, and  
  
replied, "Yes, anything for you Aphrael."  
  
He knew it now.  
  
Aphrael was Danae, it made so much sense.  
  
Somehow, he had expected it for as long as he could remember.  
  
She pulled away from him, and he saw that the earth had shaped a bed of soft flowers and  
  
grass, and that was were Aphrael sat, and reached out to him. As he took her hand, she pulled  
  
him down to her, and when he sat next to her, she kissed him and in his mind he told her, "In  
  
the on coming lonely hours, remember me, and I will remember you forever. When my time  
  
has come, I will come to you, so this isn't our last meeting, I will see you again." As she heard  
  
his silent comfort, she cried, and to that, he said to her, "Years devour you, Beloved One;  
  
don't cry." He smiled when she opened her eyes and softly lay her down, caught in her  
  
embrace, "I love you Aphrael, and no one will stop me of that.  
  
You are the only one I will love and keep in my heart."  
  
Lovingly, she ran her fingers through his wavy hair and smiled. "You are the only man to have  
  
kissed me, and you will be the only one." This time, his eyes watered, and he lay his head on  
  
her breasts, listening to her heart beat.  
  
"Talen," She whispered, and when he looked up at her, she kissed him deeply and said, "This  
  
is the last time we'll ever meet, for a while, and....and I want to remember this day in your  
  
arms forever."  
  
His heart clenched as he remembered that he will die one day, but she will live on forever, in  
  
immortal sorrow, and forever alone. Taking her in his embrace, he kissed her and realized  
  
somehow her cloths were gone, and her ripe seventeen year old body lay under his, and he  
  
softly took her, breaking through her, and realizing that he surely was the first man to take  
  
her, and was going to be the only one. He swallowed her moans and later, he cried in her  
  
arms, took her again and again, then lay there, wishing he didn't have to leave her realm and  
  
could stay with her forever.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Sephrenia stayed at the chapterhouse late night, talking to Khalad, then left, sitting upon her  
  
white mare, and returned to the palace.  
  
When she entered Danae's room, Ehlana fell into her arms, and wept.  
  
Sparhawk then explained, "The doctor's are saying they have no idea what is wrong with her,  
  
but Danae's condition is critical, they say. She.... she's dying, Sephrenia."  
  
Suddenly worried, and surprised, Sephrenia searched his eyes, but saw the same worry and  
  
fear there.  
  
"Take her to bed, Sparhawk." Sephrenia said, handing Ehlana to her husband.  
  
He merely nodded, and led Ehlana out of the room quietly.  
  
The doctor's had left, and as she gazed down at Danae, she murmured, "Good- bye Aphrael."  
  
She didn't know it, but in the chapterhouse, as Talen opened his eyes from sleep, he  
  
whispered the same, his heart burning in sorrow. 


	4. New Life

The palace was deep in sorrow at the news of their young queen, and the people in  
  
Cimmura wept endlessly. Only Sephrenia knew of Aphrael's sadness of leaving, and kept  
  
it to herself. She hadn't seen Talen in days, but Khalad informed her that he stayed in his  
  
rooms alone, and when someone talked to him, he was withdrawn, and spoke less, and  
  
was constantly lost in thought, as though lost, and never to be found again. But, as  
  
Aphrael had warned, that Sync surly wasn't going to stop at Arcium. He had left Arcium  
  
in turmoil with his mortal minions, and had found his way to the Elenia's border.  
  
Khalad had dispatched tons of his knights to protect the villager's there, and Talen had  
  
volunteered to go along. With no choice left, that was all they had so far.  
  
Sephrenia gazed up at Sparhawk as he hurried towards her, young Norin next to her.  
  
Looking up at Sparhawk, Sephrenia just watched him.  
  
Norin, Kalten's son, now twelve, sat next to her with his mother's hair, and Kalten's big  
  
blue eyes. Alean, had she been alive, would've been proud of her son, had she not died at  
  
his birth.  
  
"What is it Sparhawk?" The sorceress asked.  
  
"It's Danae." He replied, flushed.  
  
Turning to Norin, she told him to go play outside or ride a pony his size, and the tall boy  
  
ran down the hall in a sprint. Looking back at the retired knight, Sephrenia said, "What is  
  
it?"  
  
"It's impossible-- she's nearing death yet... Yet... how?"  
  
"Sparhawk, you're muttering. What is it?"  
  
Gravely, he turned to the woman who had taught him nearly everything he knew of, and  
  
whispered, "Danae's pregnant."  
  
Sephrenia's eyes widened, "What?"  
  
"I-I know!" Sparhawk exclaimed, bewildered, "How? WHO?"  
  
"How?" Sephrenia said, "You know how a child is given, but who? That is impossible to  
  
know. How is Danae though? Can she talk?"  
  
Sparhawk shook his head. "She's so weak. But the doctor's said she was going to die  
  
about two weeks ago, it's amazing she hung on so long. Now there's a baby growing in  
  
her womb? How could that be Sephrenia? Now, I will not only loose a daughter, I will  
  
loose a grandchild."  
  
Sephrenia saw him trembling, and stood up. "Sit down Sparhawk. Aphrael didn't want to  
  
leave the throne without an heir most likely. I'll be right back."  
  
Sparhawk saw Sephrenia walk away with her composed expression, but inside,  
  
Sephrenia's mind blared with questions, as she thought of the dying Danae who had a life  
  
right under her weak heart, and shivered.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Naween screamed.  
  
Her legs were spread wide, and the doctors had placed a white sheet over her naked flesh  
  
as she pushed the child within her womb out. Kalten, waiting outside the room, closed his  
  
eyes, and a tear rolled down his cheek.  
  
Alean.  
  
The love of his life had died four years after their marriage. But in her place, he got  
  
Norin, with the quiet trait of Alean, and her rugged looks that would never leave him. She  
  
was his. And forever will she stay that way, even when he fooled around with other  
  
women in her place.  
  
He knew Norin hated him quietly for that, so he kept Naween and his son apart from each  
  
other.  
  
But at Naween's screams, he feared for her life, afraid of what might happen if she were  
  
to have the same unfortunate fate of Alean.  
  
How long he waited, he didn't know, but when a head splitting scream tore out with  
  
Naween's he knew his second child was born and jumped to his feet, wide eyed. A half  
  
hour later, the doctor came out, holding a very tiny human in his arms.  
  
Smiling, he gave the baby to Kalten, "Congratulations you've got a baby girl." Turned,  
  
and went back into the room to tend to the unconscious Naween.  
  
Looking down at the baby with chocolate brown eyes and curly golden hair, he gave a  
  
soft laugh as tears sprung to his pale eyes and cooed at the baby who made a low pathetic  
  
cry, searching Kalten's chest for her mother's breast for nursing. "Ah," Kalten whispered,  
  
"Welcome Danaphra." He had been thinking hard for the name, and in honor of his best  
  
friends dying daughter and the tiny goddess he loved, he entwined their names together to  
  
come out with Danaphra.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Vamiya, Berit's bride, had cut her long hair a little, and hardly left the house, concerned  
  
her famous pale skin might get tanned. Berit, of course, didn't mind, since he wanted her  
  
to stay away from the other young men who gazed at her in hunger. He was one of the  
  
'unfortunates' to stay in Cimmura while their brothers fought at the border, so he walked  
  
around everywhere, hardly sitting, and always moving. It wasn't long when word came  
  
that the other Church Knight's in the other countries were going to Arcium and Tamuli to  
  
stop the up roar, and a few were heading to Elenia to stop their growing trouble with the  
  
'Zemoches'.  
  
It was two weeks after the news of Danae's pregnancy had been discovered, and three  
  
weeks since the Pandion Knights of Cimmura had left to defend their land when Berit  
  
heard the thrilling pipes of the Child-Goddess. He was lying in bed with Vamiya who  
  
was fast asleep when he jumped out of bed and followed the pipe whistles to his window.  
  
Looking out, he saw her.  
  
In the moonlight, Aphrael walked.  
  
She no longer was that child he had seen so long ago.  
  
She had grown. Clinging upon her ripe body, she wore a white robe that glowed brighter  
  
then the moon in the night sky, and she neither stopped, nor glanced his way. Softly, her  
  
bare feet touched the earth below her as she gracefully walked toward the palace. Her  
  
pipes were nowhere to be seen, and her lips were softly pursed, and as Berit looked, he  
  
saw a crystallized tear, that shined like stars, roll softly down her marble white cheek.  
  
Shining with tears, she raised her large dark eyes up at the massive palace and finally, she  
  
seemed to turn to mist, then vanished into the night, the light of her gown flying apart by  
  
the night wind.  
  
Berit stared.  
  
So sad. And so much pain.  
  
Why was Aphrael in sorrow? And why did she show herself to him in her grown form?  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Sync gazed into Aphrael's eyes as her image came to him in front of his as the knights  
  
slaughtered his followers, and smiled. "Aphie!" He said, as though suprised and glad to  
  
see her.  
  
"Oh," She sighed, "What are you doing, Sync?"  
  
"What does it look like?" He sneered, his red eyes blazing as his gray- black hair fell into  
  
his eyes and shadowed his handsome face, "Are you blind?"  
  
Aphrael raised an eyebrow, "Do I look blind?"  
  
Sync snatched at her, but his hand went right through the image of the goddess and gave  
  
a mad chuckle, "Scared, little girl?" He taunted.  
  
"Scared?" The goddess said with a laugh, "YOU should be scared. All of us will come for  
  
you Sync!"  
  
"REALLY?" He roared with laughter, "The other's are afraid to come into this mortal  
  
world, afraid they'll grow old, or look it. Look at me--- and yourself! You've grown from  
  
a child here, and me? I have gray hair and wrinkles!"  
  
"Why are you hurting mortals?" She asked, suddenly sad, and her eyes, in all the years he  
  
had ever seen her, all the weight of the years appeared in her eyes, the pain, and wisdom  
  
she had received. But that was none of his fault, he didn't care.  
  
"I will kill the New Spirit." He said.  
  
"New Spirit?" She asked, bewildered.  
  
He smiled, "Your child, Aphie. You think I didn't know you mated with MORTAL? Now  
  
that thing in your womb is a halfling, and it's destiny is known to all. You knew it, yet  
  
you mated with one of your non-believers!" He laughed.  
  
Protectively, her hand went to her stomach and her eyes narrowed.  
  
"You knew it! If a God had a halfling, you knew that child will become a Slayer, with no  
  
love for mortals or immortals, and not just that-- the Slayer will have godly powers!" He  
  
glared at her in anger.  
  
"That isn't true, Sync. You're mad, and you don't know what you are saying! The child  
  
will have godly powers but will be mortal like it's mortal father." Aphrael's eyes watered  
  
at the mention of father, but her face-hardened.  
  
"Ah," Sync said quietly. "I see you still love this mortal?" An insane smile spread across  
  
his face, "We'll see how his life ends now-- wont we?"  
  
Aphrael's anger blazed, "You touch him-- or if he gets even a SCRATCH, I'll- --"  
  
"You'll what?" He interrupted, "You can't leave the Immortal Realm to save him, only  
  
your untouchable image can come here, Aphie, because of your choice. You're choice set  
  
his fate, you know that?" With his red eyes burning, he sneered again at her.  
  
Before she could say anything, he dismissed her image. It wavered, and an angry scream  
  
erupted from her throat, and the scream cried for Talen whose fate was coming. 


	5. The Father

Talen slashed away his enemies with broad strokes, his armor sprayed with blood. He sat  
  
upon his mighty stallion Howda, and felt his heart thump hollowly in his chest. "Damn  
  
you all to hell!" He cried, his eyes burning like fire.  
  
His insides turned to ice when he saw a fellow knight fall off his horse, an arrow in his  
  
throat. Wheeling Howda towards the fallen knight, Talen slashed away the heads of the  
  
people who hacked at the dead knights corpse. He seemed to flow into this feeling of a  
  
dream.  
  
It all seemed to be a dream. His feelings deserted him, and all he saw was his sword that  
  
rose in arches, splitting the heads and bodies of Sync's minions. Nothing bothered him  
  
now, not even the noise of the battle, and not even the slicing sound of his broadsword as  
  
it descended upon his enemies.  
  
Suddenly, someone from behind his yanked hard at his cloak, and he lost his grip on his  
  
sword that clattered to the earth with his survival. Quickly, he reached for the mace at his  
  
hip and just managed to grasp its hilt before he fell himself onto the earth. His armor  
  
dented in, jabbing into his flesh underneath, "Ah!" He cried. Opening his eyes, he saw a  
  
sword of a Styric person's slashing down to him and, desperately, he swung out his mace  
  
and managed to hit his offender in the hip.  
  
Quickly rolling to his feet, Talen swung his mace around, and quickly searched for  
  
Howda, who was rising on his hind legs as a Styric man mounted him. Running to his  
  
stallion's rescue, Talen smashed the man's skull in with his mace and quickly remounted  
  
his stallion, which, now angered, trampled the dead into mush with his steel hooves.  
  
Again, as his confidence returned, Talen returned to that void, dream-like feeling that  
  
calmed him, and let his trapped anger out.  
  
The battle stretched out before him like a sea of water and waves, and the wind disrupted  
  
their cloaks like fire, and the winds howl seemed to howl for the dead, calling them, and  
  
threatening the living.  
  
"Talen," Whispered the wind in his ears, surprised, he looked around, "Over here!" He  
  
spun around to see someone in a pale blue gown hurry past his horse and vanish into the  
  
fighting crowd.  
  
"Talen! Look out!" A fellow knight roared close by.  
  
Spinning around, Talen saw a group of Styric's ready to aim their throwing knives at  
  
him. Digging his heels in Howda, he rode them over, swinging his mace at their faces.  
  
"TALEN!" the screech came from the winds, "Look over here!" He spun around and saw  
  
the pale blue gown vanish amongst the people once again, but with it, he saw a flash of  
  
pale golden hair, "Over here Talen," Came a murmured whisper near his ear.  
  
"Ah!" He cried, looking over his shoulder to see no one on his saddle with him.  
  
But again, he used his mace as his life was threatened once again, and thundered his  
  
stallion in among a gang of Styric's and some Zemoches and smashed them apart, when  
  
suddenly, everything stopped.  
  
Everything was frozen.  
  
Talen looked around, a Zemoch, who he had just struck, was in midair, his face dented  
  
inwards, fountains of blood frozen in air as it followed its owner. Then suddenly, he saw  
  
Aphrael, her midnight black hair falling around her, her glowing white gown untouched  
  
by the earth or the blood, "Watch out!" She screamed stretching out her had towards him.  
  
Suddenly, she vanished, and with her gone, time came back. The battle continued as  
  
though it had never stopped. He looked up to see another knight fall off his horse, an  
  
arrow that had pierced his armor and had embedded itself in his chest.  
  
"Look up, Talen." Murmured a feminine voice.  
  
The voice came from above him, so he looked up and saw a beautiful maiden floating  
  
above him. Wind seemed to play with her golden hair and pale blue gown, her large  
  
sapphire eyes alight with fire. Reaching down to him, she placed her hand on his  
  
helmeted head, and sighed, "Good-Bye mortal, you will die like a normal foul being of  
  
this earth!"  
  
Threatened, Talen swung his mace at the unknown spirit, and heard a dragon- like scream  
  
erupt from her lips, and quite suddenly, she vanished like vapor, and with that, wisped  
  
away his helmet, armor, and weapons. He wore all white, and a white shawl, not a cloak.  
  
"No!" He cried. Quickly, he spun Howda around and thundered away from the battle and  
  
spotted a fellow knight, named Aorbain, and cried, "Help me! Give me a weapon!"  
  
But just then, an arrow came spinning out of the trees nearby, aimed at Talen's  
  
unprotected chest.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Mirtai gazed down at Danae with an expression of sorrow, and closed her dark eyes.  
  
Danae sat up in her bed; she had regained some strength, for Aphrael had given it to her  
  
to produce an heir for Elenia. She had grown paler then usual, her eyes sunken in which  
  
were usually closed.  
  
"I'm fine, Mirtai." Danae murmured softly, her eye's barley open.  
  
"Look at yourself, Danae," Mirtai scolded in hidden sorrow, "What did you do to get  
  
yourself in such a condition?"  
  
A weak smile came to Danae's pale lips, "Maybe I ate poison?"  
  
"That isn't funny!" Mirtai cried, tears coming in her eyes when Danae chuckled silently.  
  
Fully opening her big dark eyes, Danae said, "Some thing's have to be done, to get  
  
something accomplished," When she said that, she looked at Sparhawk, who sat in a  
  
chair off to the corner, "and one mustn't be saddened over such a thing."  
  
Looking into Mirtai's confused face, Danae smiled sadly, "Everything happens for a  
  
reason, Mirtai."  
  
Shaking her head, Mirtai said, "And there are some thing's that are not meant to be."  
  
"But this is meant to be." Danae stated, "I am going to die because of the will of God,  
  
and none can prevent that."  
  
Mirtai shook her head, "I'll be right back," she muttered, storming out of the room.  
  
When she was gone, and only Sparhawk and Danae were alone, he stood up and  
  
approached the bed, "Don't talk like that to them, Aphrael." He said, "You're going to  
  
leave us soon, and you don't have to break everyone apart by talking like that."  
  
"I'm getting them ready for my departure. When I leave, they'll understand that it's okay  
  
for me to leave. Their grief, by then, would be gone." Looking into his eyes, burning  
  
tears came to hers, "I'm so sorry, Sparhawk, I didn't want to go like this." Placing a hand  
  
to her swelling stomach, she smiled softly, "I will leave you an heir, however."  
  
Sitting at the edge of the bed, he said in a soft voice, "Who.who's the f- father.?"  
  
Tear's rolled down her eyes as she gave him a forced smile, "Who else?" She sighed,  
  
"I've liked him since I laid my eyes on him."  
  
"Talen?" He asked.  
  
Sparhawk had been expecting this for a while.  
  
Burying her face in her hands she nodded, "Yes!"  
  
Sparhawk nodded, "Does he know?"  
  
"About the baby?" She asked, slowly lowering her hands, "No." She looked vacantly at  
  
her hands, "And he never will."  
  
"If you don't want to tell him," Sparhawk said, "I wont tell him when he comes back  
  
from the war."  
  
She shook her head. "He wont be coming back father."  
  
Sparhawk paled, "What?"  
  
"He's not coming back." She repeated, looking up into Sparhawk's eyes, "Right now, in  
  
just a few moment's, an arrow will pierce him, and he will fall to the earth, were he will  
  
get no more pain, grief or anger."  
  
Sparhawk stared at her.  
  
"I cannot do anything to help him," She said, "He was destined to father a halfling, ruin a  
  
great deity and then die." She began to weep, "I will never see my Talen again!"  
  
And just as she wept, Talen cried to the heavens above as the arrow, so destined to  
  
destroy him, struck him in his chest, pushing him off his stallion to land upon the earth.  
  
"Aphrael!" He called, but received nothing but the wind that cried and called for him. 


	6. Their Honor

Danae had slept all day.  
  
It was midnight now, when he came to her.  
  
Dressed in his black Pandion armor, Talen creaked into her room, and she sat up  
  
straighter, and looked into his hollow eyes, and shivered. The coldness in the room  
  
reeked of death and the wind outside screamed. He was dead; there was no doubt  
  
about it.  
  
His brown eyes gazed at her, no expression upon his face as he knelt down to her.  
  
"T-Talen?" She said, her eyes wide and watering.  
  
He was pale, his lips blue, and his eyes void of all feeling.  
  
"Come with me?" He whispered.  
  
She felt his cold breath upon her face, and began to weep, "I cannot!" She cried, "I  
  
have something to do before I leave!"  
  
"Will I see you again, Aphrael?" He slightly frowned. His voice was so hollow.so  
  
empty.  
  
She shook her head, "No. You are dead, I am not, and I wont be for a while. Go rest  
  
Talen, you need rest."  
  
He curtly shook his head, "Not yet, I still have something to do." Standing up, he  
  
drew his sword and said, "After this, I shall rest, awaiting you until you will come."  
  
With that, he plunged his sword into Aphrael's abdomen where their child thrived to  
  
live.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Aphrael screamed.  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
"Danae!" Ehlana cried, "Wake up!"  
  
Aphrael opened her eyes and quickly checked her stomach. It was perfectly fine and  
  
sighed in relief.  
  
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Ehlana asked her daughter, pushing her dark hair  
  
away from her face.  
  
Danae shrugged, "Fine, it was just a-a nightmare."  
  
She got up from her laying position to sit down weakly with the help of her mother.  
  
"I've been here for a while," Ehlana said, "and you just started thrashing around."  
  
Danae smiled weakly.  
  
"So, uh, how is everything?" She asked.  
  
Ehlana sighed slightly, "The war with the Zemoches at the border are retreating, but  
  
word got back to us that they needed more men so Khalad just dispatched another  
  
hundred knights. Oh, Vanion is back though." She smiled, "He's in the chapterhouse  
  
so he'll be coming here shortly."  
  
Danae smiled at her mother.  
  
"Your father told me about it," She indicated her daughters swelling stomach with  
  
her pale gray eyes, "and I must admit," Ehlana smiled, "I had a feeling that it might  
  
be him since you adored annoying the poor boy since you were a child."  
  
Sadly, Ehlana looked down at her hands, unaware that Danae pursed her lower lips  
  
to keep her from crying and took a slow, quiet deep breath. "Where's Mirtai?" Danae  
  
asked.  
  
"She's outside," A smile lit the woman's pale face, "She is also with child! Adorable,  
  
isn't it?"  
  
Danae smiled knowingly, "Really? What a surprise!" She faked.  
  
Ehlana leaned forward and planted a kiss on Danae's forehead, "I have to go now,  
  
but I do not allow you to get up from this bed!"  
  
Danae chuckled shallowly as her mother stood up. "Yes, ma'am!" She said, giving  
  
Ehlana a salute.  
  
As Ehlana left silently, Danae shivered again, at the dream she had of Talen.  
  
Was that dream telling her that her beloved had died?  
  
Or was it a warning of some kind?  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
It was a summer of hatred as Zynna gazed around herself.  
  
Like all the dancers of the Zemoch people, she wore her black hair in a high ponytail,  
  
her high cheekbones red with the cold. Her full lips were painted bright red, her  
  
snowy gray eyes standing out by the dark eye make-up. Upon her young sixteen  
  
year old body which was already full of all the requirements to be a Zemoch dancer,  
  
she wore a red skirt that hardly clung to her hips and reached to her thighs, hardly  
  
hiding her shapely legs that bore golden strings which entwined itself about her legs  
  
from her red sandal high heels. Her top was a mere tube that covered her breasts,  
  
leaving her shoulders bare, two red gloves on each hand that reached to her elbows.  
  
Her tube top was connected with her skirt by several golden-chained beads that  
  
draped her bare stomach, and her back.  
  
But as she entered a tavern, banging music of drums and some other obscene  
  
instruments played in the corner as she glanced about with distaste, but saw a buff  
  
man behind the bar counter. "Hey, fat man!" she yelled.  
  
The man turned to her, angry.  
  
Smiling sweetly, she said, "I was sent by Rozed," when the man's eyes widened, and  
  
he nodded, she added, "before I do anything, I want to be paid first."  
  
"Uh," The man was fat, and stupid! Zynna rolled her eyes. "I owe you two gold  
  
coins; so one in advance, the second AFTER---okay?"  
  
Zynna smiled, so he wasn't so stupid!  
  
"Sure." She shrugged, stretching her hand out.  
  
The man firmly placed a gold coin in her hand, which she bit, just to make sure it  
  
was real. It was.  
  
Placing the coin in a hidden pocket in her flowing short skirt, she said, "What do you want me to do?"  
  
"Dance." He grunted.  
  
"For whom?" She asked.  
  
Gazing at her, he said, "Anyone who finds you interestin'." Then he turned his back  
  
on her.  
  
Offended, she spun around and paraded herself around the tavern until a young  
  
drunk noble man called her over. "I'll give you two silver's if you dance for me," He  
  
smiled at his two drunken friends.  
  
"I need a music to dance to!" She yelled to the odd music players in the corner of  
  
the tavern.  
  
When they gave the music, she danced seductively, then, taking the noble man she  
  
made him stand, and then began to move against him. He watched her with half  
  
closed eyes as she slithered around him, then, as the music got faster, she flew  
  
away from him to the middle of the crowd that had been formed, and danced for  
  
them, making sure of staying in the man's sight.  
  
Finally, when the song ended, she approached the noble man and said, "Two silvers  
  
wasn't it?" stretching out her hand, she smiled.  
  
"Sure, my purse is in my carriage outside, want to come with me to get it?" He  
  
leaned a little forward and peeked down at her cleavage with hunger in his eyes.  
  
Shrugging, she nodded.  
  
Leading her out, they moved a little away from the tavern until she saw a white  
  
carriage.  
  
Mounting it, the noble man called to her to go in, "No, I'll wait out here." She said.  
  
"I'll give you a gold coin if you give me company in here." He said.  
  
Frowning, she mounted in.  
  
But the moment she entered, he slammed his door shut, and threw himself on her.  
  
"Whore," he whispered in her ear. Crushing his lips onto hers, he forced her to lay  
  
down on the carriage sofa and hurriedly tried to open his pants, his hips thrust in  
  
between her spread thighs. "My name is Kyman," He introduced himself, "And you  
  
are?"  
  
But she just screamed over and over she let out a scream, and began to cry, when  
  
suddenly, her screams were answered.  
  
The buff man from the tavern burst in and grabbed the drunk man from off of Zynna  
  
and threw him out of the carriage, then left to deal with him outside and Zynna  
  
quickly regained herself. When she got out, she saw the tavern man straddled the  
  
drunk man and pounding him in the face continuously, the noble man's blood on his  
  
knuckles.  
  
When the man lay unconscious, the tavern man stood up, a pouch of money in his  
  
fist and silently tossed it to Zynna, "It's his money" He spat on the bloody man lying  
  
on the floor, "Now go home-- or to Rozed." Then muttered, "You're too young for  
  
this."  
  
Nodding, Zynna scurried away, frightened beyond her wits.  
  
"WHAT?" Rozed roared when she told him what happened, "That foul piece of shit!  
  
We'll see how he can rape anyone without his dick!"  
  
Zynna smiled, yes, she thought, that noble bastard disserves that.  
  
Rozed was a strikingly handsome man with black hair and black eyes, but had it not  
  
been for his personality, she would have fallen in love with him, even if he were  
  
twice her age.  
  
"Go on home, dearie, I'll take care of the bastard myself." Rozed was VERY  
  
protective of the woman that came into his services.  
  
She turned to leave when a man, Yathabi, Rozed's cousin, came running into the  
  
room and said excitedly, "They need more men to go to Elenia to fight, but the thing  
  
is, we're running out of men in this country, so Lord Sync wishes us to take our  
  
women!"  
  
Rozed stared, "Women? To fight knights and barbarians?! What is he--CRAZY?"  
  
Yathabi shrugged, "I'd say so. But he wants them by tomorrow noon to be ready.  
  
Rozed,"  
  
He said thoughtfully, "You have women who can fight, right? Then send them!" he  
  
said when Rozed nodded, "It'll be good, because Lord Sync said that we'll be  
  
rewarded of how many women we send."  
  
"What if he wants them for his own pleasure?" Rozed asked, unaware that Zynna  
  
was still in the room.  
  
"It'll be their honor! He is a God Rozed."  
  
Rozed looked doubtful, "I'll go!" Zynna cut in from the silence of the room.  
  
"No, Zynna! Get out of here, you're to young."  
  
Offended, she stormed out of the room.  
  
But noon that day, wearing comfortable clothing, a thick cloak, and a bag of other  
  
clothing and food, Zynna lined up to go to war with Elenia, her hair in a simple braid,  
  
and smiled.  
  
*******************************************************************  
  
Khalad watched the novices practicing in the courtyard and sighed. A letter in his  
  
hand was crumpled, and tear stained, and when he looked up, he saw Vanion looking  
  
at him.  
  
"What does it say?"  
  
"I-It's from Lyzan." Khalad muttered, "My cousin, he's been injured badly. But he  
  
says that our wounded have been taken prisoner's to the Zemoches, and our  
  
prisoner's kill themselves the moment we even look at them." Sighing, Khalad closed  
  
his eyes and added, "And Talen's missing. Sir Aorbain claims he saw Talen running  
  
upon his horse with no armor and no weapon."  
  
Vanion had paled, but his voice, as always, was strong and clear. "We'll get him back  
  
from the Zemoches. Talen's a strong boy, he'll survive..."  
  
But in her realm, Aphrael gazed down upon the images of Khalad and Vanion and  
  
sighed.  
  
No...  
  
Talen was dead. She was sure of it.  
  
His presence in the world was gone and none could bring him back.  
  
"I will see him again," She said in a determined voice, "Even if it costs me my life."  
  
Softly, she placed her hand on her swelling abdomen and sighed.  
  
Being the Goddess she was, she already knew that Talen had sired a baby boy. It  
  
was small, hardly able to be detected yet, but she knew, and felt joy in it, then  
  
sighed, thinking already of what to name the unborn halfling. 


End file.
